The Queen didn't let go of Rapunzel as she led her to her room.
"Oh, Rapunzel, what happened to you? You poor thing, Rapunzel…" She kept mumbling her name, as if she didn't believe it was actually true. Rapunzel still didn't believe it was true. She found her parents and Eugene wasn't going to be killed… well, for now, at least.
"Jonathan? Dear, it's Rapunzel," the Queen said quietly as she opened the door.
"Rapunzel?" The King quickly came to his wife… and daughter.
"Hi, Father," Rapunzel said, smiling. The King stared at her in disbelief before pulling her towards him.
"Rapunzel, it's really you!" He exclaimed, pulling his wife into the hug as well. They all laughed and cried together, finally a proper family.
"Mother? Um, what's your name?" The family sat down on the couch, Rapunzel's parents wanting to hear her story. The Queen smiled.
"I'm Eleanor. This is Jonathan." Rapunzel smiled as well. "I hope you don't mind me asking, it's been eighteen years, but what happened to you?" Rapunzel took a deep breath and Eleanor squeezed her hand. Rapunzel began to tell them her life story.
She was kidnapped by Gothel, who wanted her magic hair.
She was locked in a tower for her whole life.
She'd been watching the lanterns every year on her birthday.
"I told you it was working! All those years, and your father thought we were just wasting out time," Eleanor explained.
"I did not!" Jonathan said. Quietly, he added to Rapunzel, "Your mother always thinks she's right. She's not." Rapunzel giggled at her parents, happiness surging through her.
"I watched them every year and this year I saw them up close. Eug… I mean Flynn found my tower and took me to the kingdom and we watched the lanterns in a boat." Rapunzel paused, watching the expressions on her parents' faces.
"Flynn Rider came and got you?" Rapunzel nodded.
"Flynn went to return the crown, but two men tied him to a boat and sent the boat away. They told me that he left and Moth-Gothel was there too. She took me back to the tower and-"
"So Rider was going to return the crown?" Eleanor asked.
"He did return it. Or, he attempted to." Jonathan scratched his beard and gestured for Rapunzel to continue.
"Well, back at the tower, I realized I had been painting the symbol of the kingdom my whole life and that I was the lost princess. I realized Gothel wasn't my mother and I was going to leave, but she tied me up. Flynn came back to the tower and Gothel… she stabbed him." Eleanor gasped and her hands flew to her face.
"How is he alive?"
"Gothel was going to let me heal him with my hair if I promised to stay with her forever, but he cut it to save me," Rapunzel replied slowly. Her parents watched her intently, still not fully understanding. "Gothel aged because the power in my hair was gone and she tripped out the window and died. Flynn died too, for a minute, but my tears… my tears brought him back."
"He died for you?" Jonathan asked.
"Yes, to save me from Gothel."
"Oh, sweetie…" Eleanor hugged Rapunzel. She sighed, tired from telling her whole story, even though she hadn't mentioned everything that happened on her way to the kingdom. That would come another day. Eleanor glanced at Jonathan, who was thinking about that Flynn Rider.
"Rapunzel? In the dungeons, and just now, you were about the call Rider something else."
"Oh, um, his real name is Eugene Fitzherbert. He told me." Eleanor gently pushed Rapunzel away and stroked her cheek.
"Do you love him?" Even though she hadn't had her daughter in eighteen years, she sensed that Flynn, or Eugene now, wasn't just a guide. Rapunzel blushed at her mother's question.
"Well… I don't know, I mean, I guess…" Rapunzel trailed off, smiling to herself.
"But he's a thief!" Jonathan exclaimed, surprised that his daughter was already in love with this man.
"Father, he's better now! He's stopped thieving and he returned to crown, or tried too, but he doesn't have it anymore!" Rapunzel cried, defending Eugene.
"Jonathan, he brought her back-"
"That does not mean he has redeemed himself," Jonathan said quietly. Nobody said anything but a loud knock interrupted the silence. The captain opened the door, holding Eugene firmly by the arm.
"You wanted to speak with him, your highness?"
"Yes, thank you. Could we speak with him alone?" The captain frowned, but left the room, leaving the door slightly open and standing outside.
"Eugene!" Rapunzel exclaimed, unable to keep herself sitting anymore. She ran to Eugene and threw her arms around his middle. His hands were bound behind his back and he badly wanted to hug Rapunzel as well.
Rapunzel's parents watched her face light up as he spoke to her.
"See? She's been gone for eighteen years. Don't you want her to be happy?" Eleanor said softly to her husband.
"Well, she certainly is happy," Jonathan responded, watching Eugene carefully.
"Dear, we can't have him be killed. We can make him do something else. That crown is out there, he can go get it! But Rapunzel… she's so happy, and that's all the matter, right?" Jonathan nodded slowly, taking in what she just said.
"Okay, we'll talk to the guards later."
Rapunzel looped her arm through Eugene's and brought him to the King and Queen.
"These are my parents, Eleanor and Jonathan," Rapunzel said, as they stood from the couch.
"Your highnesses," Eugene said, bowing.
"I hear it's Eugene Fitzherbert now, huh?" Jonathan asked. Eugene raised his eyebrows and glanced sideways at Rapunzel.
"Yes."
"And it's true that you died for her?" Eleanor asked, stepping forward.
"Yes." Eleanor looked back at Jonathan, making sure that he was one hundred percent positive. He nodded at her and she smiled, turning back around.
"Well, my husband and I have decided that we are not going to have you executed." Eugene let out a sigh of relief and Rapunzel squeezed his arm.
"Thank you, your highnesses," Eugene said, lowering his head.
"What do you mean?" the captain shouted, bursting into the room. "Excuse me, your highnesses, but that man is a thief! You have no proof that he rescued her!" He pointed a finger at Eugene.
"Out daughter tells us differently. He won't be killed," Jonathan said calmly. The captain looked enraged. "If you could please release him." The captain glanced at Eugene, disgusted.
"Your highnesses-"
"Release him," Eleanor echoed. The captain hesitated, but stuffed his hand in his pocket and pulled out a key. He released the shackles from Eugene's wrists and bowed quickly to the King and Queen before stomping out of the room. Eugene rubbed his wrists and looked down at a beaming Rapunzel. He wrapped one arm around her waist and faced the King and Queen.
"Thank you," he repeated.
"Of course, you will have to get that crown back. It's only fair," Jonathan said.
"Yes, of course."
"Once we have the crown back for Rapunzel, we can talk about everything else?" Eugene nodded slowly.
"Um, well... it's in the lake... but I'll be able to find it." Eleanor smiled and squeezed Eugene's hand.
"Thank you, for bringing her back." Eugene grinned at her. "All right, well how about we go for some lunch? You two look starved." She clapped her hands together and led the way down to the kitchens. Rapunzel and Eugene walked hand in hand, feeling like nothing bad could possibly happen.
Woot, longest chapter yet! This was kinda a slow moving one, though. It gets better, trust me! So hope you liked and don't forget to review :)